Welcome to Silver in Bloom!
Welcome to my blog site. I have experiences and musings to share as I journey through my 60s. I invite you on this trip. If anything resonates for you I hope you’ll see you’re not alone. And if anything inspires you, well, cheers to that!
I’m 5 years into my 60s and I can tell you, it’s been a hell of a trip! I’ve had challenges, and opportunities. One of my biggest challenges since ending my 35 year career as a professional photographer is, who am I now? What is my purpose? All kinds of questions that honestly I never had time for before. Like many of you I was being wife, mother, and business woman. Always doing. Now I’m faced with being. Stillness. I’m working on seeing the beauty in it.
You may have noticed the dandelion in my logo.
I was walking outside and there were dozens of dandelions in all phases of bloom. It made me smile to think of all the silver headed dandelions I’d blown as a child in the hopes of my wish might come true. I wonder what I wished for.
I picked up one of those silver ladies and made a wish. I blew and as I watched her seeds blow in all directions the following entered my mind.
Dandelions are a super food. Their leaves and flowers are nutritious. The first plants of Spring to wake up our health and give us energy. They have cheerful yellow flowers that remind us Spring has arrived. They provide honeybees with nectar that is desperately needed after a long winter. When their bloom is done, they provide children with hope about dreams coming true. Simply make a wish and blow.
Sadly, (to me anyway) so many people see them as weeds. Why? Because they are wild and bloom where they’re planted. Like it or not. Luckily, their seeds are strong, and once bloomed so is their root network. It’s difficult to get rid of them. But they know their value. Nature knows. Their existence is necessary for a healthy planet.
The dandelion is a symbol for me. A metaphor for how I feel about women aging, the seeds we sow, and the network we can create. American culture may see us as “weeds”, but I know our beauty and value.
